ordered by e-mail from Buddhatea after reading Teadoff's comments on some tea from Nepal:1. special gunpowder from Ilam HIMALAYAN GOLD: Wonderful sweet aroma that unfortunately does not carry over at all when drunk. Some flavors that I don't usually associate w/ tea, not quite vinegar or chemical but perhaps what some people call camphor. Dries the mouth & throat. Unpleasant, unrefined ... 2nd infusion is undrinkable.

2. special makalu clonal tippy KUWAPANI autumn flush 2012: Very alluring, complex aroma that matches the flavors. I taste what I tasted w/ the first tea, but as tea flavors, not as medicine or whatever. Very interesting & fairly enjoyable. I think it be worthwhile to get used to astringency & edge (which in my very limited experience, I associate w/ darjeeling) because this tea has character, aftertaste, some body feel. I like it & wonder if I might find a teapot to tame it just a touch.

ethan wrote:ordered by e-mail from Buddhatea after reading Teadoff's comments on some tea from Nepal:1. special gunpowder from Ilam HIMALAYAN GOLD: Wonderful sweet aroma that unfortunately does not carry over at all when drunk. Some flavors that I don't usually associate w/ tea, not quite vinegar or chemical but perhaps what some people call camphor. Dries the mouth & throat. Unpleasant, unrefined ... 2nd infusion is undrinkable.

2. special makalu clonal tippy KUWAPANI autumn flush 2012: Very alluring, complex aroma that matches the flavors. I taste what I tasted w/ the first tea, but as tea flavors, not as medicine or whatever. Very interesting & fairly enjoyable. I think it be worthwhile to get used to astringency & edge (which in my very limited experience, I associate w/ darjeeling) because this tea has character, aftertaste, some body feel. I like it & wonder if I might find a teapot to tame it just a touch.

I do feel the caffeine; no second infusion tonight.

I've never had their Autumnal flush. Try to get hold of their special 2nd flush. I find using maybe 1.5 tsp per 200ml teapot a good amount. About 3 minutes give or take.

Teadoff, I have that second flush but will wait awhile to try it. I first used almost exactly the same proportions as you suggest, just slightly more water. That ratio was giving me too much strength of flavors, that I now would associate w/ wine (previously was thinking vinegar). I am now infusing only 1 level teaspoon in 8 ounces (a little > 200 ml) of boiling water for 3 minutes. This autumn flush tastes best drunk lukewarm (which is my favorite drinking temperature for most teas). I'll wait to post any more comments on the Nepalese tea after I tried more of them (I have several). I'll do it on the thread you started for them. I think I need to adjust to a flavor that is often called "muscatel". Sometimes it puts me off, sometimes I like it a lot, sometimes just a bit.

I was going to suggest putting less leaf into the pot as these teas seem to brew strong with more than about a tsp. I don't actually use a tsp but a tea scoop that I eyeball for the amount of tea depending on the size of the pot I'm using. When you get the proportions right, these teas really sing.

Not right now, but a few days ago I enjoyed a really lovely session of Yingde. This tea can get bitter very easily, but if you keep the steeps short enough it really rewards you with chocolate notes and a smooth finish.

As part of a well-rounded tea day I pour soothing rounds of Darjeeling Risheehat Autumnal Flush 2013 in a new Greenwood studios 150ml shib and and shino cups. This is first black/red tea I've drank in some time.

The tea was exactly as described: "Rather dark, dry leaf with chocolate and nut aroma. Liquor of darker brown color, full round, sweet, creamy, and sweet taste with tones of chocolate, Brazil nuts, and citruses, long and full aftertaste without any astringency..."

Another 2 round of very long tea session, lasted way over midnight. Met up with another teamaster friend who has been in the trade since childhood (family business) he just publish a book on antique Liu Bao, so the highlight is a 1950s LioBao. The brew is clean, translucent and light amber in color. It is still sweet, thick and juicy for such an old tea. The storage is dry and excellent. He gave me some (10gms) as a gift and for reference.

This guy is in 40s and live a quiet hermit life dedicated to tea. His house is surrounded by nature and birds...a very nice zen place to be. He is humble and quiet and very sensitive towards his perception( taste, sound, smell). It is nice to enjoy tea with him, as tea is just a simple way of life to him and also to me.

Tonight I had a very enjoyable and lengthy session with the Baguashan Four Seasons from Taiwan Tea Crafts. This one is really a treat. With the full oxidisation to the clearly Taiwanese flavour this is the best black tea I have had in a long while (though I still have to try the other black teas I got from TTC).

NPE wrote:Tonight I had a very enjoyable and lengthy session with the Baguashan Four Seasons from Taiwan Tea Crafts. This one is really a treat. With the full oxidisation to the clearly Taiwanese flavour this is the best black tea I have had in a long while (though I still have to try the other black teas I got from TTC).

Found a packet of 2009 first grade keemun from Upton Tea. Huh, I thought to myself, let me try this out...

Flavor is very diminished, but it's not possible to get this to be bitter, I think, so...mellow might be the word here. Many sips have a very nice wine aftertaste. Stevia actually completments the natural sweetness and aftertaste rather than get in the way, for once.

The comfort in drinking is pretty good, a little thick and definitely a little sticky.

The qi is great, though.

It is very, very, much worth your while to age good black tea. Same rules as puerh. You generally want bold taste (if that means lots of bitter, then fine), and high quality young performance. Then store for 5-10 years.

I started off the day with a pot of Duflating Estate Assam FTGFOP1 Cl Spl Gold. Really nice, smooth cup--recognizably an Assam and very flavorful but without being overly in your face with the malt. Wonderful cocoa notes, nice thick mouth feel. My current favorite Assam.